Penn State’s Continuous Commitment to the Environment
PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of thousands of man-made chemicals extensively used since the 1940s in various products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as much as 97% of the country’s population has measurable concentrations of PFAS in their blood. Some studies have shown that PFAS may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.
What are PFAS?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of thousands of man-made chemicals widely used in industry and consumer products such as non-stick cookware, food packaging, textiles, cosmetics, firefighting foams and more since the 1940s. PFAS are repellent to water and oil and are resistant to heat and chemical reactions. These characteristics contribute to their environmental persistence and bioaccumulation.
Studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. For this reason, companies have stopped production or have begun changing manufacturing practices to reduce the amounts of these chemicals in their products. Nevertheless, so ubiquitous is PFAS in our modern society that studies estimate as much as 97% of the United States population already has measurable concentrations of PFAS in its blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As the owner and operator of the State College Regional Airport (formerly the University Park Airport), Penn State along with all commercial service airports across the country that are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was mandated to use a PFAS-containing foam when extinguishing fires and for fire training purposes with no viable substitute.
Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), as it is known, is a man-made foam developed in the 1960s to extinguish chemical/hydrocarbon-fuel fires. PFAS are some of the primary compounds in AFFF because of their unique chemical properties, which increase fire control efficiency.
Even after questions were raised about the use of PFAS in AFFF, the FAA’s mandate remained in place and no replacement suppression foam was identified until 2023, when the FAA approved alternative suppression foam. New fire-fighting foam that is PFAS-free and approved by the FAA is now available for use in fire-suppression at the State College Regional Airport. The rollout of PFAS-free firefighting foams at airports across the nation is in its early stages.
In 2018, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf launched a statewide task force led by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which sampled “at-risk” drinking water sources for certain PFAS, including drinking water sources located near military bases, airports, landfills, and certain manufacturing facilities. As a result of this statewide sampling program, DEP identified PFAS in groundwater near the State College Regional Airport in Benner Township in the vicinity of High Tech Road and initiated an investigation.
Penn State remains committed to being good stewards of the region’s natural resources. For the past four-plus years, Penn State has partnered with the state DEP to conduct soil and water sampling near the State College Regional Airport. Despite the requirement for using PFAS-containing fire-fighting foam, Penn State has conducted or overseen more than $400,000 worth of additional sampling and testing for PFAS.
Sampling results of some residential drinking water wells in the vicinity of the airport revealed PFAS concentrations above the current DEP or federal Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards. Point-of-Entry Treatment (POET) systems were installed in those homes to filter out contaminants, a process documented on the DEP website.
All potential sources of off-property contamination remain under investigation.
Penn State has now entered into a Consent Order and Agreement with the DEP to investigate and remediate PFAS at the airport site. As part of the agreement with DEP, the University also will reimburse the state $564,767 for costs it incurred throughout this investigation.
What else is Penn State doing?
Consistent with our commitment to the health, safety and welfare of our community and to further assist impacted homeowners, as noted above Penn State has entered into a Consent Order and Agreement with the PA DEP. This agreement will facilitate the investigation and remediation of PFAS released to the environment that may be related to the historic use of AFFF at the airport. As part of this agreement, Penn State has committed to maintaining Point-of-Entry Treatment (POET) systems and providing bottled water to nearby private property owners whose private drinking water wells have been impacted by the use of AFFF at the airport as set forth in the Consent Order and Agreement.
Penn State is proactively taking additional steps to hold the manufacturers of these chemicals and their products accountable. In addition to our efforts to protect our community and environment, we are pursuing legal action against AGC Chemicals Americas, Inc., BASF Corporation, Carrier Fire and Security Americas Corporation, and others for their involvement in the manufacture and sale of per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The University is seeking compensation for the damages incurred. We are committed to ensuring that those responsible bear the financial responsibility for the consequences of their actions.
In addition, Penn State is also pursuing federal and state funding that can help alleviate the burden of cost on Penn State for investigating and remediating what is considered an emerging contaminant.